With environmental sustainability top of mind for Australian businesses and families, Seven Hills RSL and Integrated Projects knew early on that we wanted to incorporate green-building initiatives as a key priority in our Club’s redevelopment plan. From the outset, environmental strategies were integrated into the design of our new club.
SOLAR ENERGY
Seven Hills RSL will be installing 300 solar panels (100kW) which should cover most of our new roof surface in Stage 2 of our renovation. Solar power is a great sustainable, green energy choice. Using the sun to generate more of our power means less harmful toxic emissions into the air we breathe from burning fossil fuels. It has huge benefits for our planet; and will also significantly reduce our electricity bills. It’s a win, win!
MINIMAL WASTE
Building materials account for almost half the solid waste generated worldwide. Integrated Projects have made every effort to ensure that our waste is kept to an absolute minimum during our build. Since the start of our renovation, 95% of our Club’s demolition waste has been recycled instead of becoming landfill. Less landfill means less toxins, leachate and greenhouse gases damaging our environment.
RAINWATER TANKS
Clean water is one of Australia’s most valuable natural resources. To help reduce our impact on the environment Seven Hills RSL will be installing two rainwater tanks with a combined storage capacity of 164m3. Rainwater collected from our tanks will be used to irrigate our landscaped gardens to ensure they stay green and healthy after being planted. Additionally, the rainwater will also be plumbed into our Club bathrooms to flush the toilets which will save precious mains water and significantly reduce our water bill.
STORMWATER DETENTION TANKS
Incorporated into the Club’s redevelopment will be two On-Site Detention (OSD) tanks with a combined storage capacity of 155m3. Our OSD tanks detain and hold storm water run off on a temporary basis and then slowly releases the water to the ground or storm water system. This reduces the potential for flooding to occur and reduces the risk of creek erosion in our local area.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
Sadly, Australia is one of the highest emitters of greenhouse gas emissions per capita in the world, one way we can reduce this environmental impact is by choosing to use sustainable building materials. Here are some of the sustainable and green building materials we have chosen for our Club renovation:
- Recycled timber beams are being used in the Dining Terrace.
- Recycled bricks from Australia’s oldest brick recycler, Brickpit, are being used in the Dining Courtyard.
- Corian vanities will be used in our new bathrooms. They have proven to be extremely safe as surfacing materials, with minimal impact on indoor air quality.
- Timber flooring in the dining lounge will be sourced from Woodcut. Woodcut have partnered with Carbon Neutral and plant more trees each year than they use on their projects via their Plant-a-Tree program.
- White Mahogany timber frames will be used in the partition screens throughout the Club as well as the glazed wall in the future Dining Courtyard.
- Woodtex insulation being used has no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) or Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP).
- Equitone cladding will be used in the alfresco area. Equitone panels are 100% recyclable, require low maintenance and have a long-life expectancy.
- Alpolic cladding will be used on our new façade along Best Rd. All materials and production waste used at ALPOLICTMare 100% recyclable.
We look forward to introducing the first stage of our fresh, new Club to you in late August this year. To stay up to date as our renovation progresses, please continue to visit our website, sign up for our e-newsletter or visit our Club’s Facebook page.